Q&A with Danny Miller, a Waco campus homeparent

Danny and Jean Miller have been homeparents on the Waco campus for 15 years. Danny has taken on a gardening project with the girls from his home unit to help them learn about nutrition, responsibility, pride and giving back to others.

We met with Danny and Kayla, one of our residents, at the garden to find out more about this project.

Q: Danny, how long have you had the garden? A: Three years. I wanted to have something that the girls could participate in and learn from. We sell the produce we grow to MCH employees. Last year, we decided to use our proceeds to help the needy. The girls chose two charities to donate to, Angel Food Ministry and the Angel Tree Ministry. They raised enough to serve several families.

Q: What do you grow in the garden? A: We grow tomatoes, lettuce, onions, green beans, okra and squash. The girls get very excited to see the produce after all their hard work. We often serve the vegetables at dinner. We show them how to prepare them and talk about nutrition. The girls spent close to 100 hours last year in the garden.

Q: What is one of your favorite memories about working with our youth in the garden? A: One year I planted eight rows of potatoes. I asked the girls to go and check on their progress. They returned very confused saying they could not find anything. They did not realize that potatoes grew below the ground. It was funny and a good learning experience.

Q: Kayla, what do you enjoy about being at the garden? A: I love how quiet it is. Mr. Miller is like a father figure to me and we often have wonderful talks out here while we are working.